Gas turbine power plant with exhaust gas recycling



Feb. 16, 1954 N, w. HAMMAREN GAS TURBINE POWER PLANT WITH EXHAUST GAS RECYCLING Filed Feb. 5, 1953 INVENTOR. Nms W. HAMMAREN BY Pm 4m @m m a Tm mam WU mv m9 mm I v mm 1|| l unwl IL HUN] ii a r 8% 0V Eu @v on 0V 4 1 9 A @4 @U C: NMR @Q 4 fl AN o 3 041 NA! 1 :u 0m Ev 5 9 WV UP w v, m l WP NM NP mm Um m mm Patented Feb. 16, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GAS TURBINE POWER PLANT WITH EXHAUST GAS RECYCLING Nils W. Hammaren, Mineola, N. Y.

Application February 3, 1953, Serial No. 334,780

4 Claims. (Cl. 6039.16)

1 This invention relates to gas turbine drives for automobiles and more particularly to a unitary drive assembly including a gas turbine power plant and a differential mechanism.

It is among the objects of the invention to provide a gas turbine drive assembly for an automobile which includes a gas turbine power plant and a differential mechanism directly coupled together; which includes a supercharger unit and a turbine unit closely coupled together and a by- Dass feeding a portion of the exhaust gas from the turbine back through the supercharger in a regenerative cycle for maximum efficiency of the power plant; which positions the fuel injection nozzles of the power plant in an exhaust gas streamwhich is mixed with combustion air only at a location spaced from the nozzles so that the fuel is carried from the nozzles in an unburned condition and the nozzles are maintained clean and free from clogging; which has the supercharger scroll housing and the turbine inlet scroll housing disposed substantially at right angles to each otherand directly interconnected for eflicient transfer of the air and fuel from the supercharger to the turbine inlet; which has separate turbine rotors for driving the automobile at at least two different speeds and for driving the supercharger so that the supercharger can be kept in operation at its own speed regardless of the speed of the automobile; and which'is simple and durable in construction, and efiicie'nt and scription and the appended claims in conjunction withthe accompanying drawing, wherein: -'I he single figure is a diagrammatic cross sectional view 'of a combined gas'turbine power plant and diiferentialmechanism illustrative of the invention. i

With continued reference to the drawinggthe differential mechanism, generally indicated at includes a gear housing II and bearing housings 2 and I3 extending from respectively opposite sides of the gear housing coaxially of each other to support the inner ends of drive shafts I6 and I! which connect the diiferentialthrough suitable universal joints to the independently sprung driving wheels of the vehicle, A ringgear I4 is *journaled in the gear housing and carries the differential spider gear assembly I15 and axles l6 and I! extend through the axle house ings l2 and |3 and into the spider gear assembly I to which they are connected in a manner well" known to the art for differential rotationby the ring gear ll.

A drive shaft 8 extends through the gear housing I and is journaled in the housing at opposite ends of the housing by bearings l9 and and pinion gears 2| and 22 are rotatably mounted on the drive shaft l8 one at the forward side and one at the rearward side of the rotational axis of the axles l6 and I1 and mesh with the ring gear M, the pinion 2| being effective to impart a forward driving rotation to the ring gearand the pinion gear 22 being effective to impart'a reverse driving rotation to the ring gear. A clutch sleeve 23 is slidably mounted on the drive shaft it between the pinion gears 2| and 22 and is drivingly connected to the drive shaft'by the splines 24 on the drive shaft and corresponding grooves, not illustrated, in the bore of the sleeve 23. This sleeve has clutch formations, as in dicated at 25 and 26, at its respectively opposite ends and the gears 2| and 22' are provided respectively with complementary clutch formations 21 and'28' so that, when the sleeve 23 is moved longitudinally of the shaft l 8 to engage the complementary clutch formations 25 and 21 the pinion'gear 2| will be drivenly connected to the drive shaft l8 and when the sleeve is moved longitudinally of theshaft to interconnect the complementary clutch formations 26 and 28 the pinion gear 2| will be released from its driving connection to the drive shaft and the pinion gear 22 will be drivenly connected to the drive shaft. When the sleeve 23 is in an intermediate position out of engagement with the clutchformations onboth of the pinion gears the drive shaft I8 is free of the pinions 2| and 22 and the driving mechanism is then in a neutral condition.

The sleeve 23 is moved-longitudinally of the drive shaft by operator control means of any suitable construction including means providing an annular groove 29 extending around the sleeve 23 intermediatethe length of the latter.

f A transmission housing, generally indicated at 30, is mounted on the end of the gear housing I from which the drive shaft l8 projects in surrounding relationship to the drive shaft and a gas turbine housing, generally indicated at 3|, is

' mounted on the end of the transmission housing 3llr'em'ote from the differential gear housing I] and also in surrounding relationship to the drive shaft l8. 7

' The gas. turbine housing 3| includes arotor chamberBZof annularshape, an inlet scroll 33 of somewhat toroidal shape at one side of the connection to the selected differential pinion gear 2| or 22.

Transmission mechanism is disposed, in. the transmission housing 30 between the. gas turbine and the differential unit and this transmission mechanism includes a quill shaft or sleeve, '41!) surrounding the drive shaft L8; intermediate the,

length of the transmission housing and carrying on one end a fluid coupling rotor 4| turning in a. fluid coupling stator 42, constituting the portion of thetransinission nearest the gear housing ll of the differential mechanism. At its other end the quill shaft fill carries a planet gear cage 43 and adjacent the planet gear, cage carries an. annular brake drum M. Planet gear-a as indicated at 45, are carried by the cage 43 and a sun gear 46 is journalled on the drive shaft i8 and meshes with the planet gears 45. A ring gear 41 is mountedon and drivingly connected to the drive shaft IS at the side of the sun gear 45 remote from the rotors and surrounds the planet gears 45. This ring gear has internal gear teeth meshing with the teeth of the planet gears which also mesh with the teeth of the sun gear 45.

The turbine rotor 31 has a centrally disposed hub 48 journalledon drive shaft 18 by the. antifriction bearings 49 and this hub is drivingly connected to-thesun gear 48.

With this arrangement, when the. turbinev r0,- tor '31 is driven it drives the sun gear 46 which in turn revolves theplanet .g'earsdii around the interior of the ring gear 47 mounted on the drive developed by the rotor3l will be delivered'to the drive shaft It until, after 'aLprede'termined time interval, the drive shaft will be turning it at a speed proportional to the speed :of the turbine rotor 31 bythe speed reducing factor 'of }the planetary mechanism. 'Brak'e shoes 48 are disposed within the brake drum '44 and, when the speed of the drive shaft |'8 has been brought substantially up to the maximum speed which can be imparted thereto by the. turbine r'Oto'r3'I, these brake shoes are either manually or automatically engaged with'the brake drum to lock the plane't gear cage "43 against further feed back rotation through the flui dcoupling at-which time the drive shaft It will be positively driven by the turbine rotor M at thefspeed determined by the speecl'reduction ratio'df theplanetary gear mechanism. v

Whenthe rotor 31' has brought the'drive shaft lip-i redetermined speed andthe'fp'la'net gear cage has been locked as described above,-mo'st of the load is then shifted to the turbine rotor 36 which is directly connected to the drive shaft, the power delivered to the drive shaft being at all times the sum of the efforts of the rotors 31 and 36. A third range of speed can be provided by locking the planet gear cage 41 at a very low speed of the rotor 37 thereby slowing the speed ofthis rotor downfto a value at whichit produces its maximum torque, the-torque "developed by a gas turbine rotor from the same quantity and speed of gas flow thereby being inversely proportional to the rotor speed.

A st'ub shaft'50 extends longitudinally from the end of the drive shaft H3 at which the rotors 36 and are connected to the drive shaft substantially coaxial-1y of the drive shaft and is journall'ed in a bearing 5| carried by the turbine .housi-n-g. The rotor 35 is directly mounted on the stub shaft 5|! and a beveled gear 52 is mounted on the shaftfiil at theouter side of the turbine housinea An air; compressor or supercharger housing, generally indicated at .53, is mounted on thetul bi-ne; housing at one side of and substantially at right angles to the turbine housing and vineludes a compressor impeller chamber 54, anyoutlet'soroll '55 which opens directly into theinlet scroll 33 of the turbine housing 3:8, and iinletv formationsffifi and '51. An air compressor -impeller shaft .58 is disposed perpendicular :to the stub. shaft 58- and iournaled theair compressor housing5-3 by the bearings 5| and :El and a beveledgear (i2 is, mounted on the impeller shaft 58. and meshes, with the beveledgear- 52 so that the impeller shaft is driven by the turbine rotor 35 through thestub shaft 50, and the beveled gears 5:2;and 62,.

A,double-famed radial-flow impeller 63 is dis-- posed Within the; impeller chamber 54 .rqf; the. compressor housing .53 and takes airuat oneiside fromthe, air inlet 56 and atits other side. from; the .air inlet 5L discharging :all .of the-air :at an increased pressure, :into the .-outlet scroll -.-,of

V the compressor housing.

The exhaust; scroll 3 10fthe turbine housing is connected through a bypas conduit 55 with the compressor intake structure 51 and an ,ex haust, pipe, 66 leads from the formation 5], this formation being closed vexcept "for the opening of the bypass and, exhaust lpipet'tinto-it and the opening of the intake formation into the adjacent'side 20f the impeller 353,

A control. val d is d sposed-in thecxhaus pipe BBand-is controlled through suitableglinkage mechanism 88 from an. exhaust direction. detec: tion vane '69 mounted .in the turbine exhaust scroll 34 nearlthe exhaustside of tthelrotori35.

With this arrangementa controlled quantity of exhaust gas from'the turbine willbe forced by the impeller '63, into the impeller outlet scroll 55 at an. increasedpressure andat the sameitime a quantity of "fresh air from the compressor inlet 56 will i be I forced by the impeller, from the inlet 56 into theoutlet scroll .55 at increasedpressure and mixed with the exhaustgasmentioned above.

Fuel :nozz'les, as indicated at "75, are mounted in :thehousing wall of the impeller chambered of .the compressor housing .at the exhaust gas intake side of the. impeller an'crinwardly Ofthe periphery of the imp ller-so that th iu l scharged by the'senOZZles is discharged into a flowing stream of exhaustgas which. will not s pport combusti n, This flo .of "the I e haust as pastthefuel nozz es carries the uel away from the nozzles and"'l eeps the flame from the burn too close to the fuelnozzles.

pump H driven by the impeller shaft 58. A fuel igniter I2 is mounted in the wall of the combustion chamber 13 where the compressor scroll 55 and turbine inlet scroll 33 are connected together and ignition takes place in this combustion chamber, the flame being carried around the turbine inlet scroll 53 and the products of combustion forced from the inlet scroll to the'turbine' rotors 35, 36, and 31 through the directional-1: vanes 14 disposed in the annular opening between the inlet scroll 33 and the rotor chamber 32.

The feed-back of the exhaust gas through the compressor impeller not only has the beneficial effect of keeping the flame away from the fuelnoz'zles so that these nozzles do not have to be serviced but also adds to the combustible charge in the combustion chamber 13 any unburned fuel. remaining in the exhaust gas thereby materially increasing the economy of the engine. Particu larly, when the engine is rotating at low speed under heavy load, most of the high velocity ea haust gas from the turbine under these conditions will be sent back through the air compressor and back to the turbine without substantial loss of pressure thereby saving a large portion of the kinetic energy as 'well as any thermal energy remaining in the exhaust gas. 4

It will be noted that the compressor impeller 63 is driven independently by the turbine rotor: 35 so that this impeller will be continuously driven at its own speed regardless of the speed imparted to the axles l6 and I! by the turbine rotors 36 and 31.

A starter I5 is mounted in a housing 16 enclosing the beveled gears 52 and 62 and, when operat ing, is drivingly connected to the stub shaft 50 to turn this shaft and the compressor impeller shaft 58 to start the compressor and supply propelllng gas to the turbine rotor 35. As soon as the rotor 35 becomes gas driven the engine is in operation and its power can be applied to the drive axle by selective operation of the clutch sleeve 25.

The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The present embodiment is, therefore, to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all changes which come withiri the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are, therefore, intended to be embraced therein.

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle drive assembly comprising a differ ential mechanism including a housing and :a drive shaft extending out of said housing, a transmission housing mounted on said differential housing in surrounding relationship to said drive shaft, a turbine housing mounted on said transmission housing in spaced relationship to said differential housing, transmission mecha} nism in said transmission housing drivingly con; nected to said drive shaft, a supercharger shaft disposed at an angle to said drive shaft, turbine rotors in said turbine housing drivingly connected respectively to said drive shaft, said transmis'- sion mechanism and said supercharger shaft.

6 said turbine housing including an inlet scroll disposed at one side and an exhaust scroll disposed at the opposite side of said turbine rotors,

a supercharger impeller on said supercharger shaft, a supercharger housing surrounding said impeller and having an intake formation and an outlet scroll connected to the inlet scroll of said turbine housing, and means connecting the exhaust scroll of said turbine housing to the inlet formation of said supercharger housing to feed 'a portion of the exhaust gases from said turbine back to the inlet of said turbine through said supercharger. r

2. A gas turbine power plant comprising a drive shaft, a transmission housing surrounding said drive shaft, transmission mechanism in said housing drivingly connected to said drive shaft, a turbine housing connected to said transmission housing in surrounding relationship to said drive shaft and including an inlet scroll, an outlet scroll and a rotor chamber between said inlet and outlet scrolls, a stub shaft journaled in said turbine chamber coaxially of said drive shaft, turbine rotors disposed in said rotor chamber for coaxial rotation and drivingly connected one to said drive shaft, one to said transmission mech anism and one to said stub shaft for driving said drive shaft at different speeds and driving said stub shaft independently of said drive shaft, an

impeller shaft drivenly connected to said stub I compressor housing surrounding said impeller shaft and said impeller and having intake formations disposed at respectively opposite sides of said impeller in surrounding relationship to said impeller shaft and an outlet scroll surrounding said impeller and connected to the inlet scroll of said turbine housing, said supercha er housing outlet scroll providing a combustion chamber at the location at which it is joined to said turbine housing inlet scroll, fuel ignition means in said combustion chamber, conduit means connecting the outlet scroll of said turbine housing to one of the intake formations of said air compressor housing, fuel injection nozzles mounted in the side of said air compressor housing adjacent said one intake formation, a fuel pump driven by the turbine and connected to said fuel injection nozzles for forcing fuel through said nozzles into said air compressor housing, and means connected with said one intake formation regulating the quantity of exhaust gas fed from said turbine housing outlet scroll into said air compressor housing under different operating conditions of said turbine.

3. A gas turbine power plant comprising a drive shaft, a transmission housing surrounding said drive shaft, transmission mechanism in said housing drivingly connected to said drive shaft, a turbine housing connected to said transmission housing in surrounding relationship to said drive shaft and including an annular inletchamber, an annular outlet chamber and a rotor chamber between said inlet and outlet chambers, an air compressor housing including an impeller chamber, intake formations disposed at respectively opposite sides of said impeller chamber and an annular outlet chamber surrounding said impeller chamber and pneumatically connected to the inlet chamber of said turbine housing, an impeller shaft journaled in said air compressor housing, a double intake impeller mounted on *is i w m r. s a t-Wi hi a dimeel er; t her, turbine rotors disposed-insaid rotor chamber-and:drivingly connected respectively to said drive shaft, said transmission mechanism and said impeller shaft, conduit means pneumatically connecting the outlet chamber of saidturbine housing-t0 one of the intake formations of said air. compressor. housing, eans connected to said one-intake formation regulating the amount of turbine exhaust gas fedto-said air compressor, fuel injection meansconnected to said impeller chamberat the'side of said impeller adjacent said one intake formation, and fuel igniting means in the outlet chamber of said'airv compressor housing.

4. A .gas turbine power plant comprising "a drive; shaft, a transmission housing surrounding saiddrive shaft, transmission mechanism in said liousing-drivingly connected to said drive shaft, a turbine housing connected to said transmission housing in surrounding relationship to said drive shaft-and including an annular inlet chamber, antannular outlet chamber and a rotor chamber between said inletnand outlet chambers, an air compressor housing including an impeller chamber, intake formations disposed at respectively opposite sides of said impeller chamber and an annular outlet chamber surrounding said impeller} chamber and pneumatically connected to the inlet chamber of said turbine housing, an

impeller shaft journaled in said air compressor housing i a double intake impeller mounted on said.- impeller shaft within-said impeller chamher, turbine rotors vdisposed-jn -said rotor c l i a m,- her and drivingly connected; respectively tojsaid drive shaft, said transmission" mechanisrn and said impeller shaft, conduit means-pneumatically connecting the outlet chamber of said turbine housing to one of the intake formations ofsaid airflcompressor housing, means connected tosaid one intake formation regulating the; amount of turbine exhaust gas fed to said air compressor, fuel injection'means connected to'said impeller chamber at ,the side of saidimpeller adjacent said one intakeiformation fuel igniting-means in-the outlet chamber of said air compressor housing, a differential housing connected to said transmission housing in surrounding relation? ship to said drive shaft, differential mechanism in said differential housing, and meanscarried by saiddrive shaft selectively connecting-said drive shaft to said differential mechanism-for rotation of the latter in opposite directions.

-. NILS -W. HAMMAREN...

References Citedin the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,168,726 Whittle Allgi'8, 1939 2,404,275 Clark July 16, 1946 2,474,068 Sammons June 21,1949 2,619,797 Haworth Dec,'2, 1 952 2,625,006 'Lundquist Jan. 13, 1953 2,631,427

Rainbow 'Mar. 17,1953 

